Alleged polygamists scrutinized
 
By Mike Weland
Kootenai Valley Press
 
You won’t find it on any map, but the community of Bountiful, said to hold over a thousand people, has been much on the minds of area residents. Located between the U.S. border and Creston, the community is purported to be comprised of a group of polygamists with ties to Boundary County and Utah.

But the group, if it exists, remains shadowy and little is known about them, except that reports of sexual abuse are common. At a recent candidates forum, Sheriff Greg Sprungl, who is running against challengers Kevin McDonald and Geoff Palmer, announced openly that the Boundary County Sheriffs Office was taking the reports seriously and was actively investigating them.

Not long after the announcement, however, the group under investigation allegedly disappeared.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police last week issued a release saying that media reports that they were not investigating the complaints were wrong.

"The RCMP continues to conduct a full investigation of the RCMP’s historical involvement and any related or new information in connection with the community of Bountiful," said Sergeant John Ward. "The purpose of the investigation is to assess previous investigative findings, re-examine past allegations and information, and determine what, if any, investigative steps need to be taken and what investigational process should be taken. Once the investigation is completed, recommendations will be made on the next course of action. However, if at any time during the investigation the RCMP comes across information of any criminal act, it is the policy of the RCMP to take immediate action."

Anyone with information on any wrongdoing on the part of the group in Boundary County are asked to call the sheriff’s office, (208) 267-3151, extension 21. Anyone with information on such allegations in the community of Bountiful are asked to call the Creston RCMP detachment, (250) 428-9313.
 
kvpress.com
Originally published October 26, 2004
 
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